[07/13/09 - 01:53 PM]Lifetime Digital Launches 'Project Runway' Show Site on MylifetimE.comThe series will make its much-anticipated debut on Lifetime Television Thursday, August 20 at 10:00/9:00c.

[via press release from Lifetime]

Lifetime Digital Launches 'Project Runway' Show Site on myLifetime.com

Unprecedented Behind-the-Scenes Broadband Video Options, In-Depth Fashion Portfolios Let Fans Get to Know the Designers as Never Before; Traffic Jumps 19% at Launch, with New MODELS OF THE RUNWAY Site Next to Launch this Thursday

NEW YORK, July 13 -- Lifetime Digital, the ultimate digital source for women's entertainment, escape and play, has launched the Project Runway show site on myLifetime.com in conjunction with the official announcement of the 16 designers who will be featured during the program's sixth season. The series will make its much-anticipated debut on Lifetime Television Thursday, August 20, at 10 PM ET/PT, and seamlessly lead into Models of the Runway at 11PM ET/PT.

Host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors (top American fashion designer) and Nina Garcia (Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine), will guide the 16 new contestants as they showcase their design skills to see who makes the cut for Fashion Week. Filmed in Los Angeles and New York, Project Runway also features influential guest judges from the worlds of fashion, music, film and television.

Lifetime Digital's show site for the all-new Models of the Runway will launch this Thursday, July 16. Project Runway's show site, upon launching on Thursday, July 9, immediately resulted in a 19% increase in daily traffic to myLifetime.com.(*)

The new myLifetime.com site for Project Runway features the first set of more than 500 exclusive broadband video clips that will be rolled out throughout season six to bring fans behind-the-scenes in ways unprecedented in the show's history. Fans can get to know the designers with the following five types of video shot exclusively by Lifetime Digital's broadband unit for each of the designers:

HOME VISITS: The Project Runway designers provide tours of where they live, work and create - be it their own home, a room at their parents' house or their car.

CLOSET TOURS: See the outfits that inspire the designers, what they will bring to wear on season six and garments they've designed in the past.

CASTING SESSION: Find out how each designer got on the show - what designs they showed the judges and how they reacted when they were given the good news.

HOME VIDEO: Watch the self-made video the 16 designers submitted to Project Runway's producers as part of their applications for the show.

MyLifetime.com also breaks new ground for fans of Project Runway with the launch of the "Project Runway Designer Portfolio" to spotlight the designers' works. The new, interactive, Flash application shines the spotlight on the designers' amazing creations like never before and enables fans to immerse themselves in each designer's pre-Runway portfolio and inspirations.

The "Project Runway Designer Portfolio" will evolve during the season as each design and the sketch used to visualize a piece is added to the portfolio following the respective episode. This marks the first time in Project Runway's history that a designer sketch for each design created on the show will be posted for fans online.

The show site for Models of the Runway will feature the same commitment to broadband content, with home visits, closet tours and fashion tips from the 16 models (who will be unveiled later this week).

"We're excited to introduce the Runway designers and models to the passionate Project Runway fans," said Dan Suratt, Executive Vice President, Digital Media and Business Development, Lifetime Networks. "We're unveiling the designers in ways never before seen and enabling fans of the show to examine each designer's creations and enhance their appreciation for the creativity and hard work that provide so much of the show's appeal."

"We're excited for fans of Project Runway to start tuning in to Lifetime and for Lifetime's audience to discover our shows," said Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company and Executive Producer of Project Runway.

"Fans are going to love the content and behind-the-scenes view into the shows on the new websites," said Barbara Schneeweiss, executive in charge of production for The Weinstein Company.

Other highlights of the initial Project Runway offering from Lifetime Digital include:

THE PROJECT RUNWAY BLOG: The Project Runway blog will keep fans of the show updated in advance of additional blogs launching with the show's premiere.

FAN POLL AND VIDEO WIDGET: Fans can express their allegiance to their favorite designer and post a fan badge (featuring streaming video) of that designer on Facebook and other social media platforms.

DOWNLOADS: AIM icons, wallpaper and more for each designer, as well as Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum.

A comprehensive rundown of Lifetime Digital offerings for Project Runway and Models of the Runway in season will be announced in mid-August.

Additional information on Project Runway and Models of the Runway can also be found on http://www.weinsteinco.com and http://www.ProjectRunway.com.

ABOUT PROJECT RUNWAY AND MODELS OF THE RUNWAY

Hosted by supermodel and fashion maven Heidi Klum, the hit series Project Runway provides budding designers with an opportunity to launch their careers in fashion, under the watchful eye of mentor and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn. The wildly successful competition reality series has proven to be one of television's most talked about shows and was the highest rated unscripted competition on all of cable for 2008.

Models of the Runway, an exciting new companion series to Project Runway, will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition - from the models' perspective. Viewers can experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire magazine.

Produced by The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture Productions, Project Runway and Models of the Runway are executive produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairmen of The Weinstein Company, and Jon Murray and Sara Rea of Bunim-Murray Productions (The Real World). Heidi Klum; Jane Cha and Desiree Gruber of Full Picture Productions also executive produce both series. Barbara Schneeweiss oversees the production on behalf of The Weinstein Company.

Lifetime Networks is a diverse, multi-media company, committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming that celebrates, entertains and supports women.

Through its award-winning public affairs initiatives, the Company also advocates a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.